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Jargon Buster - D

DAB
Digital Audio Broadcasting. Can offer better and distortion free sound, most BBC stations and many independent stations now broadcast using this method as well as traditional radio.

DAC
Digital Analogue Converter. Converts the digital information on a compact disc to analogue format for playing through an amplifier.

DBB
Dynamic Bass Boost. A system for bass enhancement in portable audio players.

DECT
Stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone, the term used to describe the latest cordless phones with far better results than the previous analogue machines.

Digital
A term used in all sorts of ways but essentially the information travels as yes or no messages (binary) and therefore wholly accurate, unlike the analogue messages, which could be considered a maybe message.

Digital 8
The digital version of the 8mm tape that Sony started in the 80’s called Video 8.

Digital Effects
Normally found on camera products, this will allow you to creatively adapt your images, such as sepia, black and white or negative art.

Digital Surround Processing
Chips inside the product delays and/ or adapts the sound to give the effect of a range of listening environments. For example church or concert hall.

Digital Zoom
The chip inside the product electronically magnifies the image, which is very handy but lessens the resolution each time, degrading the image.

Dolby Digital
A six-channel surround sound system (also referred to as 5.1) supplying different information to centre, front, rear and sub woofer speakers for the true cinema effect.

Dolby HX Pro
Dolby HX Pro makes it possible to record loud musical passages with fewer high-frequency losses and less distortion.

Dolby ProLogic
An earlier version of Dolby Digital without the separate dedicated sub woofer channel.

DTS
An alternative to Dolby Digital called Digital Theatre System and used in some surround systems.

DTT
Digital Terrestrial Television. The name given to digital broadcasts received through a standard TV aerial.

DV
Digital Video. Recording format adopted on most camcorders, provides better images and sound quaility than traditional analogue formats such as 8mm and VHS-C.

DVB
Digital Video Broadcasting. Used to indicate a signal that is received via a standard TV aerial in digital form as opposed to the traditional analogue broadcast format.

DVD-Audio
Audio Format which provides multi channel surround and high quality stereo sound.

DVD-R/DVD+R
Recordable DVD discs that can only be written to once. Some DVD recorders are compatible with DVD-R discs, some are compatible with DVD+R discs.

DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW
Different types of DVD disc that can be rewritten more than once. Check DVD recorder compatibility before purchase.

DV Out
Stands for Digital Video. A socket used to transfer data from an optical device to another place. For example from a digital camcorder to a DVD recorder.

DVD
Stands for Digital Versatile Disk. A CD with greater storage space and increased versatility that is utilised in video and computer arenas.

DVD Recorder
A DVD version of a video recorder, which uses a DVD disc in place of videotape. They have the same recording functions such as timers and remote controls.